Photographic apparatus



J. MIHALYI 2,184,016

PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS Deals, 1939.

Filed Nov. 5, 1937 ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 19, 1939 PATENT OFFICE.

2,184,016 rno'rocaarmc APPARATUS Joseph Mihalyi, Rochester, N. Y.', assignor to Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N, Y., a corpoi-ation of New Jersey Application November 5,1937, Serial No. 173,002

3 Claims.

This invention relates to photographic apparatus and, particularly, to such apparatus provided with a light sensitive cell for regulating a photographic exposure.

It is an objectof thepresent invention to pro: vide a cell controlled mechanism for determin ing a photographic exposure period in accordance with the exposing lightpas determined by' the opening of the objective lens and the prevailing light conditions.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means for controlling the width of the slit in a focal plane or curtain type shutter in accordance with the response of a light sensitive cell.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a cell controlled mechanism for automatically adjusting the exposure setting of a shutter upon the actuation of the camera release.

Still another object of the invention is the provision in a camera having a cell regulated focal plane shutter of means under the control of the shutter release for directing light transmitted by the camera objective onto the cell only when the shutter is in wound up condition.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic showing in scction of v the optical portions of a camera incorporating the invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view in perspective of a cell controlled focal plane shutter and its release mechanism; and

Fig. 3 is a detail view in perspective showing the manner in which the shutter release member governs the setting and release of the shutter'.'

- In accordance with the invention, light transmitted by the camera objective and diaphragm is directed onto alight sensitive cell, the response of which energizes ameter element provided with a pointer or stop member for regulating the shutter speed setting. The response of the cell and the energization of the meter are suitably coordinated so that the shutter setting for proper exposure will be obtained.

In the particular embodiment illustrated, a camera objective ill having a diaphragm II is positioned to form an image in an exposure aper ture l2 at which a photographic element, such as a film I3, is adapted to be supported in any suitable well known manner. In front of the film i3 are curtains I4 and of a focal plane shutter and in front of these curtains is arranged a light reflecting member It which receives light transmitted by the objective Ill and directs it onto a light sensitive cell H which may be mounted in the top wall of the exposure chamber. The reflector I6 is pivoted at 13 so that it may be rotated out of the path of the light going to the exposure aperture I2.- I I The shutter mechanism and its mode of operation are fully described in my copending application Serial No. 212,269, filed June 7, 1938, and is described herein only to the extentnecessary for a complete understanding of the present invention. It is to be understood that the drawing 1 the spool 20 are carried by a shaft 2| which also carries a gear 22 and to which the drum l3 and the spool 20 are coupled by a one-way clutch (not shown) so arranged that when the gear 22 is rotated in a clock-wise direction, as indicated by the arrow, the drum l3 and the spool 20 are driven, but which permits the curtain H to unwind the drum i3 independently of the spool 20. As fully described in my above-identified application, in winding the shutter. all of the gears are rotated in the directions indicated by the arrows.

A gear 23 which is driven for winding the shutter is connected to a sprocket-24 which advances the film l3 the necessary amount for presenting a fresh surface at the exposure aperture [2. The gear 23 has afiixed thereto a single toothed ratchet 25 which is engaged by a'latch member 26 pivoted by a pin 21 to another gear 28 so that the gear 23 is rotated upon rotation of the gear 23 in a clock-wise direction. The gear 28 is connected through a pinion 29 and gear 30 to the gear 22 which is afiixed to the drum l3 carrying the shutter curtain I4. In this manner rotation of the gear 23 as indicated winds the shutter curtains. and (5 upon the drum l9 and the spool 20, respectively. The, gear 28 is provided on its top surface with a cam 3|, the periphery of which is adapted to contact a pin 32 carried by one arm of a bell crank lever 33, the function of which will be described below.

A meter pointer 34, which is adapted to be its .pivot 21 to remove it from engagement with e the ratchet 25, thereby permitting the spring tensioning means (not shown) to start unwinding the shutter curtain l4 from the drum I9. In unwinding the curtain l4, the drum 13 rotates the gear 22 in a counterclockwise direction and through the gear and the pinion 28 rotates the gear 28 and its cam 3| in a counterclockwise direction. As the cam 3| thus rotates, the pin 32 follows the surface of the cam and permits the-bell crank 33 to rotate about its pivot in, a.

counterclockwise .direction.1 This rotation removes thearm, 31 from under the entrapping member 35, thereby leavingit. free to be rotated about its pivot 36 to. a position at which ,it en? traps the pointer 34. 'I hi srotation is brought about by means of alspring'88 which is arranged. torotate the reflector lliabout its pivot l8. A

part of the reflector mount rearwardly projecting isconnectedbya bar to the entrappingtmem ber ,35 so that as thereflector -l8..is rotated toward thecell. I-l to remove it from the path of the light passing from the objective I 8 to the exposure aperture l2, theme l ber 351s pulled down wardly to pointer entrapping position. 'Further rotation ofv the gear-Hand. its

thereby engages the ng' eterv pointer 34. When the outer end of the ,st op arm 40 engages the crank pointer 34, further movement of the bell 33 rotates the arm, 40 about] its, pivot 4| and against the, tension of a spring 42 until its other end 43.,eng'ag'es and displacesa curtain lock lever 44., This lever is pivoted at, 45 and is provided with a latch 48 which engages a single lug ratchet 41 carried by the curtain shaft 2|.-

The shaftof the pinion 28 and the gear. is

also provided with a ratchet which is adapted to be engaged by a pawl 49 carried by an arm 50 .pivptedat5l and biased by a spring 52v to, ratchet engaging position. The arm 50 is held against the-,. .f,orce of, the spring 52 by the lock lever 44 which engages a pr'ojectinglug 53 carried-by the arin 50. This arm 50 is also adapted to be held against the force of the spring 52 by a projecting pin54 carried by the release lever 38 so that whenever the release lever 38 is not depressed or the lock lever 44 is in position to hold the shutter curtain ratchet 41 againstrotation, the arm 50 will be held in a position at which the pawl-49 does not engage the ratchet 48.

With the camera pointed toward a scene to be photographed, the diaphragm H of the objective I0 is adjusted by a movable element 55 to the desired aperture. The camera shutter is wound and the reflector l6 directs light onto the cell I! so that the pointer assumes a position corresponding to thelighting of the scene and the opening of the diaphragm II. Upon depressing the release trigger 38 the latch 26 is disengaged from the lug 25 permitting the tension on the shutter curtain [4 to rotate the gears 22. 30. 29 and 28 in directions opposite to those indicated cam 3I permits a, followingifmovernent of the-bell crank 33 until a. stop arm, pivotallycarried. I I H 7 light from theupper portion, usually the sky, ot i by the arrows. Upon rotation of the gear 28 and its cam 3|, the bell crank 33 and its cam following pin 32 move to the left as viewed in Fig. 2 thereby removing the arm 31 from under the trapping member 35 and permitting the spring 88 to move the member 35 to pointer entrapping position and to rotate the reflector II out of the light path.

The pressing of the release trigger 38 moved its pin 54 away from the pawl arm 50. As soon as the outer end of the arm 40 is stopped by the pointer 34, it' rocks upon its pivot 4| so that the other end 43 of the arm strikes the curtain lock lever 44 and rotates it to disengage the ratchet" leaving itfree to rotate. However, the unlat'ching movement of the lock lever 44 was' followed by the arm 58 so that its pawl 48 hasnow. engaged,the ratchet wheel 48 to hold both the shutter curtains l4 and I 5 against movement. It will thus be evident that during the above described operation the shutter curtain l4 has unwound by an amount correspondposition of the pointer 34 but that the l5 has not moved. This results in the slit.

ing'tothe curtain defined by thev curtains, l4 and 15 being set at a width determined by the position of the pointer 34. When'pres'sure on the trigger 38 isreleased, the spring 39 ,forces it. outwardly and the. pin 54 carried thereb'y 'moves the pawl arm 58 to disengage the pawl 48 from the ratchet 48 whereupon the two shutter. curtains l4 and I5 move together across the exposure aperture, with the slot between them of the size or width which was previously determined by the pointer 34.

The reflector I6 is so positioned thatit received light coming from preferably of such size and the lower portion'only of the scene to be photo'- graphed whereby the cell IT does' not receive the scene. I With the arrangement illustrated the light input to the cell is directly. controlled 'by the camera objective I'll and itsdiaphragm II and when other lenses, such as telephoto, fare employed no adjustment of any kind is necessary to compensate for the different field angle or the like.v Although. the invention has been described as applied to a curtain type focal. plane shutter and with an arrangement whereby depressing the trigger actuates the shutter setting mechanism and releasing of the trigger trips the shutter for making an exposure, it will be obvious to those skilled in this art that other arrangements are available .for practicingv the invention without departing from they scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new Letters Patent 01' the United States is:

1. A photographic camera comprising a shutter for controlling an exposure interval, mechanism adjustable for altering the shutter interval, a movable stop member for determining the adjustment of said mechanism in accordance with the position of said stop member, a photoelectric device for controlling the position of the stop member, a trigger member biased to one position and movable to another position, means operable upon movement of the trigger member to said other position to adjust the setting of the shutter interval as determined by said stop member, and means operative upon the release of the trigger member to actuate the shutter to pr vide an exposure interval.

and desire to secure by 2 A photographic camera including a. diaphragm, a focal plane shutter comprising two curtains independently movable to provide an exposure slot and jointly movable to produce an exposure, a trigger member movable. successively through two ranges, means operable upon movement or the trigger member through its first range to move one curtain relatively to the other for adjusting the width or said slot, a light sensitive device for controlling the extent of the relative movement of the curtains thereby determining the width of the exposure slot. and means operative upon movement of the trigger member through its second range to move the curtains jointly to produce an exposure.

3. In a photographic camera in which a light sensitive device controls the exposure interval,

a shutter mechanism including two parts relatively movable for adjusting the interval setting and jointly movable to provide an exposure, a first latching means for holding the shutter parts against joint movement, a second latching means 'for holding the shutter parts against joint movement, means for imparting relative movement to said parts to an extent determined by'the light sensitive device, means actuated upon the completion of such relative movement to unlatch said first latching means and to latch said second latching means, and manually operated means for moving said second latching means to unlatched position, whereby the two shutter parts are free for joint movement.

JOSEPH MIHALYI. 

